


Meet me in the afterglow

by livlostinstarlight



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies), Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: AND DRAMA, Cassandra is trying not to be emotionally constipated, Elsa has FEELINGS, F/F, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Just a little overprotective, Mutual Pining, Pining, Post-Canon, Post-Frozen 2 (2019), Post-Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Rapunzel is a Good Friend, Useless Lesbians, a lot of fluff, asking to stay is the greatest form of love, drowning in fluff, oh no she has feelings, they are dramatic and can't act to save their life, they are in love but can't manage to tell because they are idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:01:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29286468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livlostinstarlight/pseuds/livlostinstarlight
Summary: Cassandra is staying at Arendelle, and getting to know her, has been one of the most unexpected surprises for Elsa. But when Rapunzel comes to visit and suggests that her best friend should come home with her and Eugene, Elsa has to come to terms with the depth of her feelings for the black haired girl. And maybe she should do or tell something before she could lose her.
Relationships: Cassandra/Elsa (Disney: Tangled)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 28





	Meet me in the afterglow

**Author's Note:**

> One of the many scenarios I can create to make one ask the other to stay

“… honestly, I love it here, being with all of you, but I miss home. Soon Eugene, Cass and I will have to get back to Corona.”

Something in that sentence makes Elsa inhale sharply before she could stop herself, her mouth opens, words spilling without control: “Cassandra is leaving with you?”

Rapunzel shrugs. “Why shouldn’t she? Since Eugene and I are already here, she could tag along.”

_Because it means she will have to leave soon._

The clearance of her thoughts gutses her and she struggles to push that feeling down, it scares her how strongly washes over her. And something else, far sneakier and annoying, makes its way through her.

Thinking about it, it’s perfectly logical that Cassandra would want to go back to her kingdom, she has been away from home for a very long time, yet Elsa can’t help but feel a little uneasy, despite her attempts, something doesn’t sit right with her. And something else bothers her even more.

_Now it’s not the time to be jealous._

“Did she _say_ she wants to go back?”

Rapunzel frowns, perplexed, she is probably surprised to see Elsa being so defensive about it.

“I mean… not really, but I assume… she will? She can’t be away forever, she will have to come back eventually. Why not now?”

It finally strikes Elsa what’s really bothering her, besides Cassandra leaving, it’s the _assuming_ that leaving is what she wants. That she wouldn’t hesitate to just leave.

_Mostly leave me._

Her throat tightens, no she can’t let herself think like that, even if that meant they wouldn’t see each other again for who knows how long, it doesn’t give her the right to make it about herself. She has to stop.

“Yes but… have you _mentioned_ it to her?”

When they met on the balcony and started chatting, Elsa didn’t predict the conversation would go this way, with Rapunzel talking all about her hopes for Cassandra to come back to Corona with her, and Elsa finding every excuse and stubbornly refusing to accept it. It had started like a peaceful exchange, now it seems more like they are fighting about who will get to keep Cassandra with her.

But it shouldn’t be like that, Cassandra is not a prize to be won, she is free to choose for herself.

_No matter how much I would want her to choose me._

This is about what’s best for Cassandra, and especially, what she _wants_.

Elsa’s feelings for her can’t get involved in this.

And it shouldn’t be a decision up to Rapunzel either.

“I’m sorry, Rapunzel, I am not trying to antagonize you, I know you mean well but… are you sure it’s the right choice of her?”

“Of course it is. It’s our home, _her_ home. All of her friends and family are there.”

“What if it’s not what she wants? When she left, she left for a reason. She was trying to find herself, make her own path… I know you would want her with you, it’s your best friend and you love her. All of us would want to keep our loved ones close to our hearts… But it’s not always fair to _them_. She should go wherever her heart leads her.”

Rapunzel looks genuinely anguished, and the last thing Elsa wants is to be too harsh with her, but it’s best if she hears this, who knows where Elsa herself might be if she hadn’t followed her instinct in the past, _or actually, a voice that led her into an enchanted forest,_ even risking to hurt the feelings of her family in the process. If someone understands what Cassandra is going through, it’s most likely her, and Rapunzel cares about her best friend too much to think about causing her even just a little pain.

“I know this. Of course I understand but… but I still miss her. And she is all alone...” she chews her lip pensively, deeply sighing “She just keeps wandering, from one place to the other… and I can’t help but think… when does it stop? For how long it has to be this way?”

“I know… it’s not easy.”

“I have been on the road, I get the feeling of wanting to _explore_ , to go anywhere... But deep down… I’ve always kept missing my home. I _wanted_ to go back. But… it’s not the same for her… Why is not enough to be with the people you love?”

“Because… before anyone else, being true to ourselves must come first. Do you think she would truly be happy, even with all of you, if she is not free to be herself?”

“So she should stay? That is what you would want her to do? Don’t get me wrong Arendelle is nice, I see that, but what can this place give her that Corona can’t?”

“It’s not about what I want.”

And that might be the truest thing she has said tonight, because if it was for her, Elsa would keep Cassandra close to her for as long as possible. Actually, she wouldn’t let her leave, she wouldn’t let her leave _ever_.

But unfortunately, she knows she can’t, as she keeps telling herself again and again: _it’s not up to her_.

“I am not saying she should stay here. Unless… unless it was something that she would wish for. She might decide to stay, she might decide to go to the other side of the world… But just because she could go far, or you won’t see her often, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you. The point… the point is her. It all comes down to whatever she decides to do, because that will be her way to tell you what she wants for herself. It will be her choice and we must respect it.”

It physically pains her to say it, but she does anyway: “Even if it might mean leaving us.”

At some point Elsa realizes that she has begun switching the _you_ to _us_ but when she does, it’s already too late to hide her slip, and she see it in the way Rapunzel is looking at her now.

Her brow is starting to smooth, realization dawns on her, and then comes the widening of her eyes.

“Wait, Elsa… are you in l-”

Elsa can’t tell if the interruption comes at a bad moment, or just at the right one to get her out of this situation, before Rapunzel could properly grasp the truth. But it comes in the form of Cassandra, who bursts outside, in a very much angry stance. If the balcony’s window hadn’t been already, she would have surely forcefully flied it open.

They flinch anyway at her sudden appearance and feel themselves shrink under the glare of her hazel eyes.

They are so narrowed, the definition of how _looks could kill_ , and if they really did, she would probably be already dead at least twice. “Well, well, well… how _great_.”

“Cass, we were just-”

“Don’t bother, Raps. I heard everything.”

Elsa gulps “Everything?”

Cassandra’s gaze finds hers in an instant, it comes out so intense and so deep Elsa fears she could almost see right through her, she is tempted to take a step back. But to go where? She has nowhere to run, and she can’t exactly blame Cassandra for being mad.

“Enough to catch that you were talking about something that _shouldn’t concern you_. Behind my back even.”

“It wasn’t like that...” Rapunzel tries to explain, but Cassandra shoots back right after, not hiding the spite in her tone: “Wasn’t it? Because I am pretty sure I heard you basically argue about where or how I am supposed to live _my life_. _Astonishing_ , and I thought it was _my_ decision to make.”

“Cass, please don’t be like that…” She lunges at her, trying to touch her, but Cassandra doesn’t budge, and dodges her.

“No Raps. This is important. Not everything can be fixed with a _hug_.”

She crosses her arms and slightly points at the corridor with a tilt of her head “Come with me now. You are always so eager to talk about _feelings…_ now that we have really something to discuss, you should be _ecstatic_.”

Like a scolded child, Rapunzel lowers her head, and moves to get back inside, but before she could follow, Cassandra turns once more to look back at Elsa. It makes the snow queen’s chest tighten.

“Don’t be so hard on her. She means well, she just wants what’s best for y-”

“Don’t think you are off the hook either.” She cuts her off stiffly and shakes her head a little.

“Cassandra…”

“Courtyard. In an hour. Don’t be late.”

Then without even waiting for a response, she just strolls away, as she came in the first place.

************************************

When the time comes, the courtyard is long deserted, because it’s pretty late, and no one is around, it would be the perfect time to talk undisturbed. The faint glow of the moonlight and the lamps of the bridge barely give some sort of illumination, but clear enough to see, making everything softer.

One might say it’s almost romantic, but Elsa has no intention to go down that road.

Cassandra would never think of something like that, regarding Elsa even less so, _no matter how much she secretly hopes for it,_ and if she was, she is too mad at her now to set up this kind of things.

Elsa though, arrived at least ten minutes earlier, and has been fidgeting with her fingers in the waiting.

Her train of thoughts are interrupted when she hears familiar steps echoing on the stones, and she abruptly stops walking back and forth.

Cassandra appears, dragging herself to her as if she isn’t eager to have this discussion either, the blonde already feeling her steely gaze on her.

When she comes near her, Elsa doesn’t wait for her to speak, she immediately goes for an apology: “Cassandra, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I overstepped... It wasn’t my place.”

“No” Cassandra scoffs “it wasn’t.”

“It was a harmless talk, your name just came up and we were wondering what you were going to do.”

“That didn’t sound like wondering. That awfully sounded like _you_ _arguing_ about what’s best for me.”

“We didn’t mean to say anything behind your back. There is nothing to hide, I would have told you the same thing if you had asked.” _Expect maybe one small detail._

“And since when do I have to _consult_ with anyone to decide something? It’s _my life_. I get to choose what to do with it.” She crosses her arms, Elsa resists the urge to reach out and put her hand on her forearm.

She absolutely despises when she and Cassandra argue, talking to her is one of the things that make her feel better, and her being mad at her is not something she wants to endure.

There is an unwavering assertiveness in what Cassandra says next: “I’m very much done doing what everyone expects me to do. And neither you nor Rapunzel, no matter how you might mean well, have the right to discuss about it… even less, _without me present_.” Elsa doesn’t miss the twinge of pain in her tone, it makes her more alert.

She told her once. _I’m done sitting still, I’m done waiting. I just want to be me._

And even if all Elsa wanted was to help, she can’t help but feel a bit guilty. In a way she crossed a line, she should have known better, maybe approaching more carefully the subject, or maybe not bringing it up in the first place. Cassandra has always been particularly sensitive on the matter, she can understand why she is upset now.

“Yes… yes, of course. You are absolutely right. And again, I’m sorry… I wasn’t trying to tell you what to do with your life, I would never. But... I know a thing or two about making difficult decisions. Following your heart… having to leave your loved ones behind... _finding yourself_ …”

That was one of the things that brought them closer, their deep understanding how of it feels to be restrained all their life, that burning desire to become themselves.

“I was just trying to explain what it feels like to Rapunzel… so she might understand better… I… I didn’t mean to assume anything… and I certainly didn’t mean to hurt you in any way.”

“I know... I heard you.”

It’s the way she replies, softly even, that strikes Elsa then, that makes her question that maybe she has completely misinterpreted Cassandra’s behavior. Because she is way calmer than Elsa expected her to be, despite a few snarky remarks, she mostly seems wary, and oddly, she keeps shooting curious glances, that the blonde has no idea what they could possibly mean.

But she doesn’t look mad, a little on edge maybe, but there is no sign of anger in her.

It brings some comfort to Elsa, relief washing over her like a blanket, still she attentively asks: “Are you… are you and Rapunzel good?”

“Mostly.” Cassandra sighs, faintly shrugging. “We talked. There were things she needed to hear, and things I needed to tell. It wasn’t all pretty, but in the end... she gets it. We will be fine… she also managed to snatch a few more visits from me. Even when she is wrong, she knows how to get her way…”

“It’s part of her charm, I don’t doubt it... I… I’m glad you two made up. That’s… good news.”

Elsa doesn’t know when it happened, it never did with other people, but this _need_ of touching her, of getting closer, doesn’t go away. Instead she settles to play with her own sleeve to keep her fingers busy.

She perceives the distance between them too strongly.

The awkward silence stretches for a few seconds too long not to be noticeable, yet Cassandra is the one who breaks it first: “Do you want me to leave?”

“W… what?”

“You… don’t want me to stay at Arendelle any longer?”

“What? _No_. Of course not, how could you possibly think so?”

“It… sounded like it.”

Elsa’s eyes widen at the unexpected hesitance shown by Cassandra, it’s the absurdity of her misinterpreting her words, _thinking_ that she doesn’t want her there, that stuns her more.

There is literally nothing farthest from the truth.

_If only she knew._

“No. I said that you should do what it feels right for you. Whether is leaving…” she lingers on her with her eyes, and before she could lose the courage to do it, she reaches out with her hand to gently pat on hers, just briefly “or staying.”

Cassandra doesn’t flinch, nor she recoils, instead she swiftly catches Elsa’s hand before she could pull away entirely, making her stiffen: “That’s… that’s not what I asked...”

“What… what do you mean then?”

“I’m not asking you about what _I_ want... I’m asking what _you_ want.”

Cassandra has always been blunt, but her questions are getting them into dangerous territory, and if the snow queen is not careful, she might let slip something that she won’t be able to take back.

She is also foolishly afraid of her touching her now, as if just by that, Cassandra could tell exactly what she is thinking. With her eyes still on their joined hands, she schools herself in the calmest tone she can muster: “It doesn’t matter what I want.”

It’s a weak attempt to deflect, but she can’t answer her without betraying herself. It has already been difficult for her accepting to feel this kind of feelings, she is still jittery about them, _she never thought she would get to experience them in the first place,_ but coming clean with them is a whole different issue.

But Cassandra has no intention of let the this drop easily and squeezes her hand: “It matters to _me_.”

And as she turns to face her fully, in a rush of boldness Elsa pulls her closer, squeezing back and blurting out: “Why? Why does it matter?”

They both seem to realize how close they are. _Dangerously close_. But neither of them does anything to change the situation. Until Cassandra’s eyes flicker, turning hesitant, and averts hers. “Nothing. I just…”

_What. Just what?_

The Coronan is the one who steps back, letting her go and distancing herself, almost to calm herself down, but she just manages to look more restless.

At this point, Elsa has to ask. She needs to know.

“Cassandra…” _I don’t want you to leave_ “what is it that _you_ really want?”

“Don’t turn this on me. I asked _you_.”

“Why? This isn’t about me. It’s about you, what _you_ want. And you questioning me, after you said that neither me nor others should get involved in the matter, makes no sense. I want… _we_ all want… what’s best for you. And only _you_ know that… if you actually do anyway.”

“I _know_ what I want.”

“Then _what is it_?” Elsa is the one who snaps this time, because she can’t hide her frustration any longer, this slippery behavior of hers is making her nervous. And she has to prepare herself for what’s coming, to know if she will have to let her go soon, and if the day she is going to lose her is closer than she thinks.

_Please don’t let it be close._

But Cassandra doesn’t tell her any of it, she doesn’t speak at all.

She just keeps staring at her, with those deep hazel eyes of hers, for so long that Elsa almost grabs her by the shoulders and shakes her. She is not sure she won’t do it anyway.

But Cassandra seems genuinely torn about how to act, it’s clear by how tense she looks, she even clenches her jaw. Until she lets out a long, resigned breath, and then Elsa knows she has decided.

She doesn’t know what to expect, Cassandra has always been as easy for her to understand as hard to read, she is a kindred spirit and a mystery at the same time.

The thing she expect even less, is her quickly approaching her, her arm wrapping around Elsa’s waist to pull her in, reducing their distance to nothing.

She doesn’t have time to register what is happening, that Cassandra has already teared herself away, her breathing uneven. But Elsa is not doing much better, her ears are ringing so loud it’s almost impossible to think lucidly. She keeps switching her gaze from her lips to her eyes in disbelief.

For a moment she thinks she has imagined it, but the kiss still echoes on her mouth, in her mind, and Cassandra’s scent is still completely engulfing her.

Then a sense of thrill starts taking place.

_Did she just…_

She doesn’t stop to think it through, when Cassandra moves to release her from her embrace, Elsa simply doesn’t let her. She ungracefully cups her face and draws her in, making their lips meet again.

Cassandra is so taken aback by it, she freezes for a second, before completely giving in and kissing her back.

It’s a real luck for Elsa to have learned to master her powers, because right now all her emotions are all over the place, did she ever start a blizzard by accident because of too much joy?

This might actually be the first time. Luckily for them, _and everyone in Arendelle probably_ , she doesn’t.

The thought makes her laugh though, and she stops, so overwhelmed she feels need to gasp for air, pulling away but still holding on Cassandra’s face.

Cassandra on her part, doesn’t look better either, her eyes are glassy, she is a little disheveled, still, what makes Elsa almost float on the spot it’s the way she blushes and _stammers_ : “Listen I... If that’s okay with you… I still have a few businesses to take care of… _here_. So, I plan to stick around a little longer… if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t” Elsa blurts out in a rush, delight taking over any kind of caution, or even embarrassment, “I really, really don’t.”

The other is so flustered, she looks ready to bolt at any second, as if she is not the one who has just grabbed Elsa and started making out with her, Elsa is lingering in the fact that she is the cause of this reaction from her. Perhaps she is gloating a little.

Cassandra coughs, taking back control of herself. “But… I think Arendelle is a little too loud and chaotic for me. Maybe something more peaceful… Perhaps a forest. That sounds… _practical_ to me...” she tilts her head, a hesitant but hopeful glint in her eyes, that makes Elsa’s chest starts fluttering immediately.

_What did she do to me? When did I become like this?_

Despite her sudden urge to melt right in her arms, she manages to remain as composed as she can, still she is not sure she is succeeding, and does nothing to stop the smile from spreading on her face. “I think I might know a place.”


End file.
